“Anyone can design and construct a garment; you just need the right amount of guidance and motivation. My goal is to help inspire people to create beautiful things. If you are passionate and driven, there is no reason why you cannot be creative every day.”

In this workshop students will explore the world of couture sewing by fully constructing a garment using hand sewing techniques. No machines are involved here. You will develop an appreciation for the skill of the human hand and its role in quality constructed garments. These are skills that anyone can learn. Students will gear their garments towards detail-oriented items with a focus on hard-to-handle fabrics such as silk, organza, chiffon, satin, lace, wool, and velvet.

Ever wonder why vintage garments always look impeccable? How are they constructed with such accuracy, yet still able to communicate the personality of the maker? Students will find out as they learn essential temporary and permanent stitches, suitable seam finishes, thoughtful pressing techniques, and a variety of design element details related to their garment choice.

This workshop is ideal for individuals who are intrigued by the world of hand-sewing, but are hesitant to take the jump on their own. Students will enter a rewarding and intricate world of vintage hand stitches and techniques that are relevant to both vintage and modern garments.

In architectural terms, pattern blocks are the foundation for all garment construction. In this advanced five-day workshop, students will learn how to manipulate and alter a basic set of dress blocks (bodice, skirt, and sleeve) through flat-pattern drafting techniques. Students will learn dart manipulation, sleeve variations, skirt variations, neckline and collar variations, and techniques to create style lines and add fullness.

Bagh is a place in India where these distinctive patterns are born. The graphic nature of this block printed bedding adds character and depth to any room. The patterning is a beautiful balance of figure and ground that allows motif and colour to sing together. Hand blockprinted on 100% organic cotton using natural dyes and traditional techniques.

The graphic impact of a Bagh block print is due to the dramatic use of of red and black; a style which originates with the Bhil and Bhilala cultures residing in Madhya Pradesh, India. The printers of Bagh are Khatris who migrated south from Rajasthan during the Mughal incursions. They remained to take advantage of the high copper content of the Baghini river. Today, a few small studios still follow a traditional block printing process.

Light and medium weight cotton cloth is scoured and prepared with a complex mixture containing tannin. The cloth is printed with mordants, but as the mordants themselves give no colour during application, a bright pink dye is added - traditionally from the dhawda (flame of the forest) flower. This dye permits the artisans to check registration of the patterns and align overprints. Areas which appear pink during this initial stage will appear deep red when the cloth is finished.

Traditional dye methods include the fermentation of iron-water to give a black colour. Horseshoes and other scrap iron is added to a jaggery-water mixture in a process which can last between fifteen and thirty-five days. The distinctive blocks are carved from hardwood and can print thousands of impressions before needing to be recut.

Washing during the various stages of the printing process is still done by the riverside. Lengths of unfinished cloth with the distinctive pink colour are evidence of traditional artisans at work.

Maiwa works with Bagh craftspeople using traditional block printing techniques. The bold patterns are a proud and dramatic statement of the cultural heritage of this area.

Start your next project with the best of materials. Naturally dyed, hand block printed organic cotton. Maiwa has this yardage available in-store and online. Printed by the accomplished Dabu printers of Rajasthan, these bolts range from simple resist-printed dots to full complex block print patterns.